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Title: Fuel motion in TREAT tests M5F1, M5F2, M6 and M7: preliminary analysis of hodoscope data

Abstract

Preliminary results from hodoscope data analyses are presented for TREAT transient-overpower tests M5 through M7, including expansion at the tops of the fuel pins, changes in relative worth of fuel pins, and lateral pin motion. Tests M5 and M6 were the first TOP tests of margin to cladding breach and prefailure elongation of D9-clad ternary (U-Pu-Zr) IFR-type fuel. Test M7 extends these results to high-burnup fuel and also initiates transient testing of HT9-clad binary (U-Zr) FFTF-driver fuel. 5 refs., 17 figs., 1 tab.

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Lab., IL (United States); Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
714612
Report Number(s):
ANL-IFR-112
ON: TI89021320
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Jul 1989
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; TREAT REACTOR; FUEL PINS; TRANSIENT OVERPOWER ACCIDENTS; REACTOR SAFETY; FUEL CANS; FFTF REACTOR; ALLOY-HT-9; HODOSCOPES; BURNUP; IFR REACTOR; DATA ANALYSIS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA

Citation Formats

Rhodes, E A, Stanford, G S, and Regis, J P. Fuel motion in TREAT tests M5F1, M5F2, M6 and M7: preliminary analysis of hodoscope data. United States: N. p., 1989. Web. doi:10.2172/714612.
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Rhodes, E A, Stanford, G S, & Regis, J P. Fuel motion in TREAT tests M5F1, M5F2, M6 and M7: preliminary analysis of hodoscope data. United States. doi:10.2172/714612.
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Rhodes, E A, Stanford, G S, and Regis, J P. Sat . "Fuel motion in TREAT tests M5F1, M5F2, M6 and M7: preliminary analysis of hodoscope data". United States. doi:10.2172/714612. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/714612.
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@article{osti_714612,
title = {Fuel motion in TREAT tests M5F1, M5F2, M6 and M7: preliminary analysis of hodoscope data},
author = {Rhodes, E A and Stanford, G S and Regis, J P},
abstractNote = {Preliminary results from hodoscope data analyses are presented for TREAT transient-overpower tests M5 through M7, including expansion at the tops of the fuel pins, changes in relative worth of fuel pins, and lateral pin motion. Tests M5 and M6 were the first TOP tests of margin to cladding breach and prefailure elongation of D9-clad ternary (U-Pu-Zr) IFR-type fuel. Test M7 extends these results to high-burnup fuel and also initiates transient testing of HT9-clad binary (U-Zr) FFTF-driver fuel. 5 refs., 17 figs., 1 tab.},
doi = {10.2172/714612},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989},
month = {Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989}
}
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Technical Report:
View Technical Report (2.94 MB)
DOI:  10.2172/714612
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  • ; ; ; ...
    Results and analyses of margin to cladding failure and pre-failure axial expansion of metallic fuel are reported for TREAT in-pile transient overpower tests M5--M7. These are the first such tests on reference binary and ternary alloy fuel of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) concept with burnup ranging from 1 to 10 at. %. In all cases, test fuel was subjected to an exponential power rise on an 8 s period until either incipient or actual cladding failure was achieved. Objectives, designs and methods are described with emphasis on developments unique to metal fuel safety testing. The resulting database for claddingmore » failure threshold and prefailure fuel expansion is presented. The nature of the observed cladding failure and resultant fuel dispersals is described. Simple models of cladding failures and pre-failure axial expansions are described and compared with experimental results. Reported results include: temperature, flow, and pressure data from test instrumentation; fuel motion diagnostic data principally from the fast neutron hodoscope; and test remains described from both destructive and non-destructive post-test examination. 24 refs., 144 figs., 17 tabs.« less

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  • ; ; ; ...
    Three loop experiments (tests M2, M3, and M4) on U-5% Fs ERR-II driver fuel have been performed in TREAT to provide basic empirical information on transient behavior of metal-alloy reactor fuel under accident conditions. Test conditions and posttest results of test M4 are described. (Corresponding information on tests M2 and M3 was reported previously in ANL-IFR-18.) In addition an analysis of all three tests is given that emphasizes new findings since M4 was performed and analytical progress made since ANL-IFR-18 was issued.

  • ; ; ; ...
    Fuel-motion surveillance using the fast-neutron hodoscope in TREAT experiments has advanced from an initial role of providing time/location/velocity data to that of offering quantitative mass results. The material and radiation surroundings of tha test section contribute to intrinsic and instrumental effects upon hodoscope detectors that require detailed corrections. Depending upon the experiment, count rate compensation is usually required for deadtime, power level, nonlinear response, efficiency, background, and detector calibration. Depending on their magnitude and amenability to analytical and empirical treatment, systematic corrections may be needed for self-shielding, self-multiplication, self-attenuation, flux depression, and other effects. Current verified hodoscope response (for 1-more » to 7-pin fuel bundles) may be paramatrically characterized under optimum conditions by 1-ms time resolution; 0.25-mm lateral and 5-mm axial-motion displacement resolution; and 50-mg single-pin mass resolution. The experimental and theoretical foundation for this performance is given, with particular emphasis on the geometrical response function and the statistical limits of fuel-motion resolution. Comparisons are made with alternative diagnostic systems.« less

  • ; ; ; ...
    TREAT tests M2 and M3 were performed to obtain information on the characteristics of metal-alloy reactor fuel under slow transient overpower accident conditions, in particular, the margin to cladding breach and the axial self-extrusion of fuel within intact cladding. The tests used U-5Fs fuel pins irradiated to burnup levels of 0.3 at. %, 4.5 at. % and 7.9 at. %. Each pin was located in a separte flowtube and cooled by flowing sodium. In one test, a pin of each burnup was heated to incipient cladding breach. In the other, pins of the medium and high burnup levels wer heatedmore » to slightly beyond breach. Pre- and post-failure fuel motions were monitored by the fast-neutron hodoscope. The time and axial location of cladding breach were determined from the test-loop instrumentation. Computations of fuel extrusion and cladding failure are desribed. The models used in the computations include effects of retained fission gas expansion, vaporization of the sodium-bond annulus in low burnup fuel, and cladding-wall thinning by eutectic formation.« less